Hoping Prosperity Returns

Strike Has Affected Businesses Near Yard

NEWPORT NEWS — About the only things moving on Washington Avenue across from Newport News Shipbuilding on Friday morning were the ceiling fans cooling local restaurants.

At exactly noon, a siren inside the 113-year-old shipyard wound up and wailed, signaling the start of the 30-minute lunch break. A thin stream of workers sauntered across the street, filling the covered sidewalks between 36th and 38th streets.

Other than during lunchtime, businesses neighboring the shipyard have had a tough time with the 116-day-old strike. Some are coping better than others. But all have felt the pain of lost business while 9,000 United Steelworkers union members have been on strike.

It's uncertain when prosperity will return, but the shipyard's commercial neighbors are ready for it - and waiting.

"We just want to see everyone happy," said Johnny Threatt, 56, owner of Tidewater Safety Shoes. "We want to see the shipyard happy, we want to see the union happy."

Many Washington Street restaurants have walk-up windows, allowing workers to grab their food and go. The storefronts have been remodeled in recent years, with tan stucco exteriors and a green canopy covering the sidewalk.

There are a handful of stores selling all manner of safety clothing: steel-toed shoes in a variety of styles, safety glasses, helmets and sturdy work attire.

But at least one of those businesses was closed late Friday morning, the middle of a normal workday. Many restaurants are open only long enough for breakfast and lunch.

Gus' Place

The chrome trim on the art deco bar in Gus' Place, 3700 Washington Ave., tells of the eating place's birth during World War II, when more than 31,000 shipyard workers sent hundreds of ships down greased building ways to fight for victory.

"Those days are gone," said John Becouvarakis, who runs the restaurant with brother Greg. Their father, Gus, opened it.

Friday's special was a cheeseburger and trimmings for $2.50.

Cheeseburgers, hot dogs and sausages sizzled on the griddle inside one of Gus' walk-up windows. A fan above the door pushed the smell of fried fish for sandwiches onto the sidewalk.

All they sell at the bar anymore is cold bottles and cans of beer.

"Some days are good, some days are bad," said Greg, 65.

While the brothers hope that the strike ends, prosperity is a relative term. It would take two weeks for the workers to get their first paychecks and pocket money.

Also, the lunch crowd shrank dramatically when the shipyard trimmed the lunch hour to 30 minutes a few years ago.

"It will be nice to get back to normal - if you can call it that," Greg said. "What's lost is lost. We'll never get it back."

'Over 5 million toes saved'

Letters on the door of Tidewater Safety Shoes, 3714 Washington Ave., boast, "Over 5 million toes saved." Owner Johnny Threatt, 56, is quick to point out the slogan is a joke - but a reasonable estimate, based on the number of pairs of shoes they once sold.

Threatt's son, Chip, 28, also works in the store, which opened in 1973.

"The sooner it's settled," Chip said, "the better it will be for everyone."

There's a wide selection of steel-toed shoes in a variety of styles in the carpeted store. There are also lots of work clothes, including slacks, jeans and jackets.

The elder Threatt said the strike's effect on the business wasn't as bad as it could have been. That's because of lessons learned from the 1979 strike.

After that three-month walkout, Threatt branched out from supplying only defense industries. Now he serves factories and governments. He has additional stores and several sales trucks scurrying around the Mid-Atlantic region. He also runs a healthy mail- order business.

But about 25 percent of Threatt's sales come from Newport News Shipbuilding employees.

"We've grown with the shipyard," Johnny said. "When the shipyard has good times, we have good times. When the shipyard has bad times, we have bad times."

What lessons will Threatt learn from this strike?

"We're going to keep trying to keep diversifying and grow," he said. "That's all we can do."

'We've survived'

All three chairs were full at Andre McNair's Hair Cuts Unlimited barbershop at 2061/2 37th St. McNair was busy at the center chair, deftly, patiently putting finishing touches on Javone Brown's haircut and beard trim. The air was filled with the buzzing of electric clippers.

McNair's owned the shop for two years. When workers aren't striking, he stays open sometimes past 6 p.m. The shop was vacant for 21 years, but before that, sometimes it stayed open far into the night, he said.

There's been a big drop in business during the strike, but there still are times when things are good. There also are days when McNair closes the shop a little early, about 4 to 5 p.m., because business has been too slow.

"We've got our days," McNair said in front of the shop's green Formica cabinets with chrome handles and oval windows. "It's going to come back. There will be more money for everyone.